Heading off to college for the first time? There’s a lot to get organized and many new things to buy, not the least of which is dorm bedding. You may think the bedding you have right now will be just fine but even if you sleep in a twin bed, think again as most college dorms are equipped with beds in a size known as “twin extra-long” or “twin XL” which means your favorite sheets probably won’t fit. So dorm bedding has to go on the “gotta get” list and besides, it’s fun to make a fresh start in a new dorm room and decorate it just the way you like.

Some colleges let you meet your roommates online so you can decide together ahead of time who’s bringing what and the colors you might want to choose for you new space. Whether you know in advance or just have to wing it one thing is certain – you’ll need more than one set of dorm bedding. You might get away with one comforter (by the way, comforters don’t come in XL; the standard twin size will fit just fine) but you will need at least two sets of sheets and pillowcases and three would be even better because you’ve got a lot of partying, make that studying to do; laundry – well, later for that (maybe you can take it home on the weekend!).

When choosing that awesome new dorm bedding it can’t hurt to plan ahead – like getting a reversible comforter so it will look good most of the time (make sure it’s machine washable because it’s not likely you’ll be sending it out for dry cleaning) and choosing at least one set of sheets in a solid color so you can mix and match. There are some fun sheets like jersey knit ones that feel like your favorite t-shirt or all natural organic sheets if you want to go green. When you’re looking for dorm bedding in twin extra-long along with organic and jersey sheets, reversible comforters and other helpful college dorm room thing like bed risers, check out Bed Bath & Beyond – their stuff rocks.